Special Issue: Con Alma carries the torch for Pittsburgh Jazz

Andersen Beck
Jul 3
7 min read

Updated: Oct 25

A Note From The Author:

A few weeks ago I had the honor of coming down to Con Alma, one of the coolest spots in all of Pittsburgh, to chat with one of it's founders, John Shannon. This article is the first in a series of specials I plan on creating - articles and multimedia projects that go beyond the (incredible but) usual profile pieces. I would like to thank all the readers and fans who have helped me get from being a college-dropout bum to getting exclusive interviews and high-profile stories, and even paid freelance journalism work. I like to be silly and loose with my writing, but I want to let you know I appreciate your eyeballs on my scrawled drivel. Thank you. Now enjoy the story!

A tragically little known fact about Pittsburgh, even amongst it's lifelong residents, is that in a bygone age, Pittsburgh was host to a thriving jazz scene. The history of jazz in Pittsburgh runs deep; in the days where the rivers were the highways, New Orleans and Pittsburgh were connected along the same path. Over the many years, and due to new development around the city, the jazz clubs were dismantled and the scene shrank in size and prominence.

The scene never died however, jazz could still be found in places like the Crawford Grill and the James Street Tavern. The players would come out of the woodwork and gather in bars and homes and jam the night away. One of these players was a young jazz guitarist named John Shannon, who would go on to usher in the rebirth of Pittsburgh jazz.

At a young age, John Shannon was recognized for his developing skill while taking lessons at his local guitar store and was referred to continue studying guitar at Duquesne University. Under the tutelage of teachers like Bill Purse and Kenny Karsh, Shannon opened his ears to Jazz icons like Wes Montgomery, Pat Martino, and Joe Negri (who still lives in Pittsburgh at 99-years-old!).

Shannon went to school at Berklee and went on to play in New York for many years, going on International tours as well. After returning to Pittsburgh with his band he reconnected with childhood friend and chef Josh Ross and his wife Aimee.

"I had been reconnecting with with the jazz scene here that I grew up in; just seeing what a strong scene it still was, and what a strong audience there was that was magnetized to it still. Reminded me what a jazz city Pittsburgh really was," says Shannon on being back home.

One day while hanging out with Josh and Aimee, Shannon brought up the idea of starting a jazz club. There were no dedicated jazz clubs left in Pittsburgh, long gone were the days of spots like the Crawford Grill. The goal now was to create a spot unlike any other in city.

"... if we did something focused around jazz music and we did it right, like the vibe was right. No TV screens, if you wanted to watch the sports game you could go somewhere else. Vinyl records, live jazz, great food and great cocktails, and just a vibe," says Shannon.

In this endeavor, Shannon would take on the side of music, having a knowledge of the people in the scene and an idea of how to curate it. Josh would be executive chef and Aimee would be beverage director.

Within two weeks of receiving backing, the trio's jazz club dream would be greenlit, and Con Alma (Spanish for "with soul") would be born in Shadyside on Ellsworth Avenue.

Con Alma's first location in Shadyside (credit Mike Melito)

"(we had) ... this kind of vision of creating a center for the Pittsburgh jazz scene and also creating an awakening to the public of Pittsburgh as a jazz city. A lot of people aren't aware of it and you know, Pittsburgh wants to be proud of Pittsburgh; we just wanted to say "hey, there's more, there's a deep legacy and history here that's jazz music," - says Shannon.

But what is a jazz club without its jazz musicians? Shannon notes that when he came back to Pittsburgh, the restaurants or spaces that even hosted live music usually tucked the musicians in the corners, often not even having stages. There was another problem as well.

"But also the people that were getting the gigs, it wasn't right. The order of who should be prioritized and who should have the spotlight wasn't correct ... often, the best musicians are not the best business people, they're not the best at marketing themselves. So I was kinda like "no, nope, no," rearranging and putting the people that should be in the spotlight at the top, playing all the time there," says Shannon on his role as the music curator of Con Alma.

'So what, is a music curator just like a bouncer for who's allowed to play and who's not?' Not quite, dear reader. Music curators make a venue the real deal. It's a subtle but vital role, and I'll let Shannon explain it further.

(cont. from prior quote) " - like of course, Roger Humphries, but like David Throckmorton, James Johnson, Cliff Barnes, Mark Strickland, and having people that were maybe hired to do vocal gigs doing their own gigs. Creating a curation that people could trust so they could come here at any moment and trust that even if they didn't know who it was that was playing, they would know it was going to be a good vibe. It would be good and well-curated. I learned that in New York City in the East Village with Rockwood Music Hall, which is where I came up and cut my teeth, and Ken Rockwood, who ran that place, that was how he did it. You just trusted it. The vibe was always great, the hang was great, the music was always gonna be good."

Con Alma's current location around the corner of 6th Street and Penn Ave in the Cultural District

Day to day work for Shannon is described as "a business of tying up loose ends." Booking a show is done usually two to three months ahead of time, and is thought-out considerately. This is especially impressive given that there is live jazz EVERY night.

"I'll book different on a Saturday than I do on a Wednesday, trying to stay on top of people who haven't played here in a little bit that I should get in here; there's so much talent here it's crazy. I'm not sure I could do this same level of curation with any other style of music in Pittsburgh," says Shannon.

Beyond curation, Shannon fulfills other duties like updating social media, show promotion and signage, and managing emails and messages in preparation for shows and such.

Few things in American history are as important to our culture as Jazz. It's the foundation for all modern music. It brings together all walks of life, it always has since it's inception in the tenements of New Orleans. The Pittsburgh jazz scene deserves it's flowers, it has withstood all the change that has occurred in Pittsburgh in the last century.

"We still have a real jazz scene here. It's like a REAL scene. There's elders, there's young people coming up; that's the greatest thing ever. There's work, there's all different kinds of people playing the music, different styles within the people playing the music, different strengths."

You don't need an agent or need to be booked to participate in our jazz scene. Shannon took up the tradition of the James Street Tavern, recreating the Tuesday night jam sessions hosted by Roger Humphries. Now, every Tuesday night you can go to Con Alma and join right up with the musicians on stage. I went down myself to see it, it was spectacular; I've never seen anything quite like it. Singers and musicians rotated around the stage, collaborating in different styles and intensities, in songs and styles from across the ages of jazz.

Con Alma specializes in globally-inspired cuisine

Also, the focus of this article is music and jazz, but I would be remiss if I neglected the restaurant aspect. Without turning this into a food review, I'll say that truly I've never had a meal there that I didn't love. Their waitstaff is friendly as well; helpful and accommodating to this broke baby-faced 19-year-old idiot, who himself isn't highly accustomed to finer dining.

The demographic for Con Alma, unsurprisingly, is all across the board. People of all ages and backgrounds come for their own reasons, be it the jazz, the food, the drinks, or just a cool club that encourages hanging out. If you had to categorize Con Alma's constituency, it would be best said that it's people who are into culture and nightlife. The restaurant has so many facets that it's been able to develop a culture of it's own.

I'd like to give a huge thank you to John Shannon for inviting me down and having a great conversation about jazz, thank you as well for the free espresso. You're the man. To the readers: do yourself a favor and go to Con Alma at your soonest convenience. Follow them on Instagram to keep up with who's playing and menu updates!

Jazz is something to be treasured, one might even say it is sacred. If I try to explain it in words it only sounds redundant and shows where my ability to articulate myself caps off; understanding of jazz (which in turn can only be love of jazz) cannot come from a thinkpiece and it certainly can't come from someone telling you to love it. It requires honesty from the listener, humility, open mind and open heart – and when you get it, really get it, deep in your very soul – few things can compare to the broad joy that it can add to your life. Maybe having kids can. Or like a cool Porsche. Not a Cayenne. Maybe a Cayman GT4?

Thanks for reading; as a treat here are three great jazz tracks from three Pittsburgh-born jazz icons, Art Blakey, Erroll Garner, and Ahmad Jamal.